Three artists to watch in 2015

Adam Yauch can convince me to not go to school, Ezra Koenig makes me try and act cool, Mark Ronson has me dancing like a fool, and I can’t explain why. There is a certain power in music and, more often than not, we keep it a secret. But it is almost criminal to hold this music hostage and prevent it from evoking similar emotions in others. So, as my first step in my rehabilitation process, I give you three artists that I am looking forward to hearing more from in 2015.

Tobias Jesso Jr.

Tobias Jesso Jr. is not new to the music industry. On his track “Hollywood,” he sings of his past encounters in Los Angeles and the crushing reality that optimistic musicians face when trying to enter the scene. “I don’t know if I can fake it if they tell me I’m no good, I think I’m gonna fry in Hollywood,” he sings forlornly from his piano. His first proper single is similar to that of his old YouTube demos, where a shattered soul slowly pieced himself together on his sister’s out-of-tune piano after enduring a recent breakup, a car crash, and finding out that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer.

When he sings, he may not have the voice to win American Idol, but what he lacks in innate talent, he makes up for with his heart. He pours himself and his emotions into each of his tracks, leaving the listeners with nothing but raw beauty. His debut album, “Goon,” is slated to be released on March 17, and it can’t come soon enough.

Brian Wilson

BrianWilson was one of the founding members of The Beach Boys, and as a band, they revolutionized the term “harmony.” Wilson, however, would revolutionize the music industry as the main force behind the album “Pet Sounds.” Regarded as one of the greatest records of the 60s, he was only 24 when it was released.

Now, almost 50 years later, he is at it again. People often wonder what happens to these once-famous musicians. Do they wither away as time goes on, or decide to morph into the norm? For Brian, neither is necessarily the case. Singers such as Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, and Zooey Deschanel decided to work with him on this latest album. And although not all the tracks made it onto the album, it just goes to show the respect he has garnered from the new wave of musicians. He should receive the same from the public too.

Chance the Rapper

For centuries, music has been wild and disruptive in nature. Dating back to the rituals for the Greek god Dionysus, it was a way to rid yourself from societal expectations and let loose. This form of rebelling against the norms inspires the best out of musicians: Dylan did it, Lennon did it, and now Chance is doing it. After a suspension from high school, he decided to go against the administration and create a mixtape called “10 Day,” titled after the amount of time he was expelled from school.

But this small act of teenage angst would lead to something much more. His next mixtape, “Acid Rap” (released in 2013), was so huge that it crashed multiple hosting sites. He is currently on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, and is one of the most hyped up rappers of the past couple years due to his unique and daring style. His movement forward is rather unique too. With the aftermath of “Acid Rap” came the record labels. However, he declined them, for as an independent artist, he would rather make money by selling merchandise and touring than putting a price on his music.

His next musical endeavour has been kept under wraps for quite some time, but after announcing that he’d participate in The Social Experiments album “Surf,” the entire community awaits his next move.

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Author: Chris Khoo

Chris Khoo is a senior and a Video Editor for The Eye. This is his second year on staff and eleventh at SAS. Outside of school, he is often filming or listening. You can contact him at khoo19133@sas.edu.sg.
View all posts by Chris Khoo